Get a bunch of teen girls around this book and they will likely shriek over the "gross" pictures. But get each one alone with it in the privacy of her room and she will curiously pore over the unretouched, real photos and consult repeatedly the chapters covering sensitive topics of her concern. A reassuring, real and honest book that I wish I'd had back in 7th grade. ( )

This isn't something I meant to read cover to cover--I meant to skim it, to see if it was something we should shelve in the Teen area or Adult. Ultimately, I'm coming down on the side of Teen, despite the many photographs, and we'll see how it goes from there.

This really is a fantastic book when it comes to teen girls' questions about their bodies--am I too big/small/lopsided, I'm Completely Abnormal, etc. In a conversational tone, it's very reassuring about the different kinds of normal (and that's where the photographs come in). This is the kind of book I wish I'd known about at 15 (or even in college), to see the wide range of what normal looks like. While I wouldn't necessarily hand it to 11-year-olds who are just hitting puberty, this is an excellent resource for high school girls and older. ( )

Since I started this job of reviewing about a year and a half ago, I've had the privilege of reading a number of self-help type books geared towards girls and women and their bodies. I have to admit that none have been as comprehensive, helpful, and realistic as BODY DRAMA. This is a book that leaves nothing to the imagination, states complete truths instead of half-truths and myths, and answers the types of questions that many females, regardless of age, are sometimes too embarrassed to ask -- even in the company of their doctors. As an adult, and a married woman with two children, I still found this book to be extremely helpful, and even discovered information that I hadn't previously known.

From your face to your skin, from your hair and nails to your reproductive organs, from skin problems to disease, from the natural shape of your body to the sometimes strange things that happen to said body, Ms. Redd covers them all -- and in detail. There's no hesitation here, and there's definitely no embarrassment. There are only real answers to real questions that everyone, at one time or another, has wondered about. And if you haven't wondered about it yet, believe me, you will!

BODY DRAMA is filled with "fast facts," drama scenarios, "how do I deal?" answers, and full-color photographs. This is a book that younger kids might giggle over, but that older teens will appreciate for its frankness. This is also a book that, once you get your copy, you won't want to part with it. Share it with your daughter, your sister, your cousin, your friend. Don't be ashamed of the body you were born with. Get the answers you need to be healthy and happy.

Kudos to Ms. Redd for such an informative read. This one is a winner! ( )

If you are a woman, you probably have, at one time or another, wondered (or stressed) about the shape and look of your body. Especially in our Hollywood-Obsessed society where looks still seem to be everything, it's hard for young girls to develop a healthy self-esteem. Never mind getting a good idea of what a healthy, normal, female body is supposed to look like. That's exactly where "Body Drama" comes in. This book is like the real-life issue of "Glamour Magazine" and "Playboy" combined. It deals with questions about bodily functions and malfunctions that many girls and women would be uncomfortable talking about. The topics range from bad breath, to back acne, to genital herpes, to normal body shapes and much more. If that in itself doesn't sound too original, wait until you see the pictures. There are tons of pictures of real women with normal- not airbrushed bodies. This is exactly what makes the book so great. It helps to bring us back to reality and redefine what normal really looks like. A must read for any girl and woman between 14 and 40. Even if you are long past your own puberty you can still take away something positive. Just as long as you aren't particularly squeamish, some of the pictures are very REAL. ( )

Wikipedia in English (1)

In a question-and-answer format, educates teenage girls about skin, breasts, the genital area, hair, nails, shape, and weight, discussing what is normal, how to deal with problems relating to each, and why everyone is a little bit different.